Chihuahuas come in a huge variety of coat colors and patterns. The AKC official standards accept any color and pattern. Color and pattern preferences among breeders and Chihuahua lovers abound and for each preference, there is a Chihuahua in that color.
But, some of them may be very difficult to find. From top to bottom, these are the rarest colors you’ll find in a Chihuahua.
- Merle
- Brindle
- Lavender or Lilac
- Pure White
Merle
The merle Chihuahua is not a color but rather a coat pattern. They are not the rarest Chihuahua, but they are not easy to find either. One reason they are rare is that a breeder has to know what they are doing to produce a healthy merle.
Due to the amount of colors and patterns occurring in the Chihuahua breed the ethical breeding of the merle pattern can be much more difficult than in other breeds who limit the allowed colors and patterns ~ The Chihuahua Club of America
If a breeder does not know the ethical way to breed a merle Chihuahua they are prone to a plethora of health issues.
They may be born deaf, with abnormalities of the eye such as increased intraocular pressure, ametropia (images fail to focus on the retina), microphthalmia (abnormally small or malformed eyes), and colobomas (occurs before birth and is missing pieces of tissue in structures that form the eye).
The double merle gene may also cause abnormalities of skeletal, cardiac and reproductive systems.
According to the Chihuahua Club of America, the merle pattern is best shown in a chocolate or blue merle. If you consider buying or adopting a merle Chihuahua be sure to have them tested and have a thorough veterinarian exam.
Brindle
The brindle Chihuahua is also not a color but a pattern. The brindle is not the rarest Chihuahua but just like the merle, they are difficult to find.
Brindle is a pattern sometimes referred to as tiger-striped. The brindle pattern is not rare in some other breeds such as Boxer, Great Dane, English Mastiff, Boston terrier, just to name a few.
The streaks of color are irregular and usually darker than the base color of the coat, although very dark markings can be seen on a coat that is only slightly lighter. ~ Wikipedia
Again it’s all in the breeding. Breeding Chihuahuas that produce the brindle pattern is not necessarily an easy thing to do. I don’t breed Chihuahuas and don’t know very much about breeding and what genes produce what color or pattern. But I do know that breeding a true brindle is not easy.
Lavender or Lilac
Lavender or Lilac color is diluted chocolate. This creates a color known as “lavender” in Chihuahuas. The lavender color is difficult to breed because it is hard to reproduce. Even if you mate two lavender dogs you may not get lavender puppies. One of the mates must have the diluting “d” gene as seen in blues.
It is referred to as lavender or lilac because of the purplish tint to the diluted chocolate color.
Pure White Chihuahua
The pure white Chihuahua is the rarest color of all. Why is the pure white Chihuahua so rare? To have a truly all-white Chihuahua you must breed two pure white Chihuahuas.
A rare all-white Chihuahua will have no black pigment to his skin. This means that the eyes nose and even the nails will be a light color. The ears will also be pink.
Sometimes the cream Chihuahua is confused with an all-white Chihuahua. However, a cream Chihuahua will have those deep, dark black eyes that you can get lost in and a black nose. Whereas the pure white Chihuahua will have light eyes and a pink nose. This does not mean that they are albino either.
Don’t miss: What is a blue or a blue Merle Chihuahua?
I have a blue 💙 Chihuahua she will be ten years old in February of 2024 how long do they usually live
They are beautiful, aren’t they? A blue Chihuahua will live (providing there are no genetic disorders) as long as any other Chihuahua. The average life range is 12 to 17 years, however some have been known to live longer. Thanks for the question.
What would that the type of Chihuahua be if it looks like he is a German Shepherd but is in fact a Chihuahua?
If they have a flatter head and longer nose…a little bigger than most Chihuahuas? They would be like my Remedy; a pear head Chihuahua. Most people don’t know that term as only breeders use it. It happen SOMETIMES when a dear head is bred with an apple head. See attached image: Many people don’t believe me when I tell them she is a Chihuahua but she is. This may be what yours is. If not that then he is a mix and the breeder or rescue either didn’t know or they lied. 🙁 There are no other “types” of Chihuahua. I hope that helps. 🙂
how am I supposed to enter your contest for prizes when all it does is tell me that the submission has failed. Just curious
I’m soooo sorry! Thank you for brining it to my attention! I will find out and fix the issue today. Please give me a little time and try again. 🙂
Hi Kat! I think I found the issue, please try again and email me at linda@chichisandme.com if it still doesn’t work so I can dig deeper. Thanks again for letting me know!
What about height?? I rescheduled a chi who is quite tall for the breed. The previous owner swore that the pups were from 2 Chihuahua parents. And mine is pure black as a puppy. His parents were a fawn and variegated type. Both of them were your run of the mill size. Yet mine grew very tall , much taller than his parents.
Hi Sonja,
Purebred Chihuahuas come in all sizes from 2 lbs to 8 lbs. Most likely yours a dear head Chihuahua. They are tall with a longer body, and long ears as well as a longer snout. And all different variations of that. Genetics is not my forte, but generally, if you breed two dear head Chis you most likely (not always) will get a dear head Chihuahua. The same is true of breeding two apple head Chihuahuas together. When you breed an apple head with a dear head you generally get a mix of both. You can also get a pear head Chihuahua which is what my Remedy Jane is. For more information about what is and isn’t a purebred Chihuahua be sure to check out my video on youtube >> FINALLY A CLEAR ANSWER APPLE HEAD OR DEAR HEAD.
My chihuahua is a Deer Leg Chihuahua. I call her Lady Long Legs. I rescued her and the agency said that the pup’s available then were all purebred. Charly looks more like a miniature greyhound. I looked and looked for information on her and happened upon a picture that looked just like her. I never heard of such a thing as Deer Leg. On her first visit to our vet he warned me to not let her jump up or down because of her hips. He also let me know that she would have arthritis early. She is three now and already has signs of arthritis in her hips. She has stairs to get in and out of my bed. She never attempts to jump. And she loves a deep muscle massage of her back hips.
Hi Laura; There is no such thing as a deer-leg Chihuahua. If your Chihuahua has long legs she is a deer head Chihuahua. It is true that deer head Chihuahua’s bones are smaller and more fragile than an apple head Chihuahua. For more information on the different “types” of Chihuahua watch my video; How Many Different Types of Chihuahuas Are There? And What is the Rarest Chihuahua? AND; FINALLY! A CLEAR ANSWER, APPLE HEAD OR DEER HEAD?
Loved reading this page. Found out dune really neat things about the Chihuahua that I never knew.👍🏽👍🏽
Hi Pammie!
Thank you so much for the comment! I’m glad you enjoyed this post! I try to post new information once or twice a week, so hope to see you back here often! 🙂 ~ Linda
I think i have a merle coat Chihuahua, Hope it turns out long haired also.
I was always told that the black Chihuahua was one of the rare ones. Is this correct?
No, black is actually pretty common. I have a video that will tell you the different coat colors and patterns and which is the very rarest. CLICK HERE TO WATCH >> https://youtu.be/ysoNC2jz7pw
No. A black Chihuahua is actually pretty common. I have a video on the subject of types of Chihuahuas and what one is the rarest type of Chihuahua. CLICK HERE TO WATCH >> https://youtu.be/ysoNC2jz7pw
I have been searching everywhere for a female, apple head, smooth coat chihuahua. I cannot find one anywhere. I’ve always had chihuahuas and lost my last one 3 years ago. I’m just now ready to get a new one. I never knew it would be so hard to find one.
Hi Zana
I’m very sorry for your loss! ChiChis and Me is an educational and information Website about Chihuahuas. “Helping you and your Chihuahua live the best life ever together”. I have no Chihuahua’s for sale and we are not a Chihuahua rescue organization. I have a 6-year-old female long-haired apple head Chihuahua and a 9-year-old smooth coat male apple head Chihuahua. I adopted them both last year from a local rescue organization (they only adopt locally). So they are out there. I have a list of trusted Chihuahua breeders and Chihuahua rescue organizations that you can contact. You might also try searching for “local chihuahua rescue” or “local small breed rescue”. on the internet. Even if you find a non-specific breed rescue they may have a Chihuahua. I am putting the links to the pages I mentioned below. If you have your heart set on a puppy, unless you have a lot of money to spend it will be more difficult to find one. If you go that route, please watch out for backyard breeders and puppy mills! Full-bred Chihuahuas are expensive, so if you find a “bargain”, it’s probably a puppy mill! Good Luck! ~ Linda p.s. when you find one don’t forget to come back to ChiChis And Me for all your Chihuahua health, nutrition, training, and behavior information.
TRUSTED CHIHUAHUA BREEDERS
CHIHUAHUA RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS
I am sliver of chihuahuas, I have adopted several. I have one male that is short haired and reddish brown. Some say he looks like a mix with a min pin. I also have a long haired male that is black. I think chihuahuas get a bad rap. I have been told they are stupid, non stop barking and are unfriendly. My chihuahua’s love to play fetch, love meeting new people and are very smart. I think that people don’t give them a chance and unfortunately like all dogs, many owners don’t invest the time to train their dogs.
Go Chihuahua’s 😁
Hi Vickie!
I agree! That is exactly why I started this website. To help Chihuahua owners with questions they may have about the Chihuahua breed. Their health, nutrition, training, and behavior. Have you read my post: Why are Chihuahuas the second most often euthanized breed? I’ll add the link >> Thank you for your comment and help me get the word out, there is no such thing as a bad (or stupid, barker, mean) Chihuahua, just an uninformed owner. https://www.chichisandme.com/why-are-chihuahuas-the-second-most-euthanized-breed/
I agree my grandparents bought one when I was 6 mos old she died when I was 15 and I was devastated and she wasn’t even mine ! I have owned 3 2 died years ago and I have one now that I adore and she always has to know where I am at we know when someone is around on the property I live on but if you give her a treat then she will love you forever(I only give treats to give to her if I know the person and trust them)she is the best guard dog I have ever had she is 4 now and still has certain snuggly puppy love to give
Hi Tonda, Thanks for your comment! I can’t say enough about how special Chihuahuas are and all the varieties of colors are beautiful. My Remedy is a short-haired blue merle and everyone that sees her says how beautiful her markings are. 🙂 ~ Linda
We have a beautiful Brindle and Lilac long hair chihuahua. He is very healthy, happy and also has the wolf sable mask. So glad we found him!
Hi Anita! He sounds absolutely beautiful! I’d like to see a picture, plus you can share his picture with all my readers by entering your Chi’s photo into our photo gallery. Just click the link for all the info. Thanks for your comment! ~ Linda https://www.chichisandme.com/cutest-chihuahuas-photo-gallery/ and you can enter his photo in our Chi of the Month contest also >>https://www.chichisandme.com/enter-your-chihuahua-for-our-chi-of-the-month/
Thanks so much for explaining the colors. Our Bella is a blue Merle. She was a rescue but we thought her momma had bred with an Australian shepherd somehow! We had never seen a chihuahua with her markings plus one blue eye and one brown eye.
Hi Tammy! You are so welcome! I’ll bet your Bella is really beautiful! I think I said in the article that my Remedy is a blue merle with one blue eye also. I’m very glad I could help! Thanks for commenting! 🙂 ~ Linda
I have chihuahua and her name is Misty and she is almost 18 years young she still has all of her teeth and is in good physical condition she is alert and still loves to play but I can tell old age is catching up with her. She is starting to have breathing trouble and the vets say her throat might be get smaller he’ll I don’t know but she is starting to hack a little bit at first they thought it was her heart but it is not they did a check on her blood and found that she hardly had any fat in her blood that could cause heart disease so we have ruled that out but like I said the vet said he has seen these before in small dogs and the throat just gets. Smaller he said he does not know why it just happens. But as far as that issue she is fine . She is a chocolate with what was at one time a peanut butter colored mask but now it is white. When I got her she had no white on her at all. Thanx Bobby
Hi Bobby, I’m not a vet, but I think you need to get a second opinion. I’ve worked many years at a veterinarian hospital and I have never heard that a dog’s throat gets smaller as they get older. Did they do an EKG or even an x-ray of her heart? You can’t diagnose a heart problem with only a blood test. At 18 years of age, her hacking is more than likely her heart. Thanks for the comment and I hope you can take your Chi to another veterinarian. ~ Linda
older dogs esophogus gets elongated with age, like droopy boobs and the symptom is coughing
Hi Diana, yes that is true, however, coughing can also be a symptom of many things including heart issues. Anytime your Chihuahua has a persistent cough, be sure to have them checked and diagnosed by your veterinarian. Thanks for the comment! ~ Linda
I love my blue long-hair chi more than anything. I adopted her, and her name was Blueberry. I changed it to Pippa Blueberry. She can’t wag her tail, and it is so beautiful. I know s he would if she could. Was she likely born this way, or was she likely injured? It doesn’t seem to bother her. She seems so happy and is so sweet.
Hi Dianne! Thanks for the question. I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “can’t wag her tail”. Does she wag her whole butt? My Pebbles does that and it is adorable. That’s normal. However, if her tail just hangs down limp-like or she doesn’t move her tail at all, you should have her seen by a veterinarian. It could be a number of causes, including a muscle problem. If it were me, I would have her veterinarian check to make sure there is no underlying cause. In some cases, it can be corrected. Better safe than sorry, right? I absolutely love the name! It would certainly suit a blue Chihuahua! Thanks for the comment! ~ Linda
Is it normal for a Chihuahua’s lips to get darker as it ages?
Hi Risa!
Thanks for the question. It is common, but not necessarily normal. There are many possible reasons for this. Have you noticed any darker pigmentation anywhere else? If it is only his lips, it is probably just a result of getting older. However, if his skin is getting darker anywhere else it could be anywhere from mild to serious. The only way to know for sure is to have your Chihuahua examined by a veterinarian. Again, it’s probably absolutely nothing, but it would be best to take him or her to the vet. Thanks again for the question and for visiting ChiChis And Me! ~ Linda
I have a tea cup pup that is 4 years old an can sleep in cereal bowl. She’s no bigger than my hand. She is only 7″ long with a tale of 4″. I’ve had her since she was 12 weeks old. So how rare is my chihuahua, her name is Wello, after the movie Wello.
Hi Keith,
You never said how much she weighs, but by your description, probably 2 lbs. or less. I bet she is adorable! Healthy Chihuahuas can weight anywhere between 2 to 8-10 lbs and mixes can weight even more. Every liter has a “runt”, meaning one that is smaller than all the rest. I will tell you that Chihuahuas that are 2lbs or less are more prone to health problems — there are always exceptions. Be sure she is checked out by a veterinarian at least once a year.
What Is A Tea Cup Chihuahua?
Thank you for your question! ~ Linda
I just got a grey chihuahua. Shen is so beautiful
Hi Kathy!
Congratulations! Why not send us a picture and we’ll put it in our photo gallery? Submit it HERE.
Linda
We saw a blue Chihuahua yesterday slick almost chrome looking coat. if it wasn’t spoken for ida grabbed it up.
Hi Steven!
Aren’t they beautiful? Thanks for your comment! ~ Linda
I have a gorgeous teacup white Chihuahua he is absolutely gorgeous
Hi Nicole!
That’s awesome! I’m sure he is…. you should send us a pic 🙂
I have two Harlequin Male brothers from same litter.
Are there lots of Harlequin and are they worth any money
Hi,
It depends on what you mean by a Harlequin Chihuahua. I’ve seen some websites that have a picture of a blue merle Chihuahua and call it a Harlequin. A Harlequin patterned coat on any dog is black and white, not spotted like a dalmatian. The spots are larger in size than a dalmatian. In the world of Chihuahuas, however, a black and white Chihuahua is referred to as a black on white, or a white on black, not a Harlequin. This coat pattern in a Chihuahua is not rare at all. As far as how much they are worth, I do not sell Chihuahuas, nor do I breed them, so I couldn’t tell you about a price.
Although a blue merle is not as common as most Chihuahua coat patterns, it is also not considered to be rare.
Thank you for your question,
Linda
I have a long haired solid lilac w/ white markings puppy that’s now almost 8 weeks old, will she keep that lilac color or will it change when she blows her coat. This is the parents 2 ND litter. 4 males 1st litter 3 fawn & tan w/ lilac tips and 1 cream w/ lilac tips. This litter 1 fawn & tan w/lilac tips, 1 black& tan w/ white markings, 1 solid lilac w / white markings, 1 variegated brown with lilac mixed throughout coat, w/ lilac tips. Mom is fawn & tan w/ lilac tips, Dad is a deep two tone rust color ( like a red Doberman).They have the most beautiful babies together mom is young just 2. Dad is old was 6 in May. Such a shame he is so old they make such amazing baby’s.
Hello Barbara! I am not a breeder, however, what I do know is that the 8 week-old lilac probably will keep her color and it may even get darker. But there really is no exact science to tell you for sure. This is a question to ask a responsible breeder. Thanks for your comment! ~ Linda
My Layla looks like a minpin one parent was a blue (she has a long haired blue couple of years ago mixed with westie rofl)the other looks like her, I would have sold my first born to get a female blue and not breed her they are more of silvery gray but they are BEAUTIFUL!!
As an AKC Chihuahua breeder for 8 years, the only rare colors I have come across is pure white. The rest of the colors and patterns I see on your list are DEFINITELY not rare 🙂 Absolutely LOVE your website/blog! It’s great!!!
Thanks again for your feedback, Suzzette! Maybe I should have worded it differently, but they are not as common as other colors and patterns. Wouldn’t you agree? Thank you for correcting me and I’m glad that you enjoy my website/blog!
Linda